Loose leaf binder



May 11; 1937. G. H. DAWSON LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed May 17, 1935 FIGPZIII/IIIIlI/IIIIIII/III- 'IIIIIII INVENTOR GEORGE H. DAWSON FIG.4

Patented May 11, 1937 if;

ration of Massachusetts ;Application-May 17., 191 .5, :Serial is. 21.92

c rains. (o1. res-s;

This invention @relates to loose-leafgbinders of the type having-aloo-king post between the :covers, as disclosed in U. S. Lettersgliatent No. :927,"Z.4';i granted to W. S. Mendenhall July 13, l9fi9 -anilmore particular ty EtFQ the locking post and the means for operating thesame.

It is an object of this invention to provide simple and efficient meansfor rotating one section of the locking post a predetermined distance tolock and unlock the post sections. Other objects of this invention willbecome apparent upon reading the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is afragmentary perspective view of a loose leaf binder embodying myinvention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the binder shown in Figure 1, withparts broken away to facilitate illustration of the post structure;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the binder showing the lockingpost in locked position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the binder with parts brokenaway; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective of the two sections of the binderin disassociated relationship.

In the drawing, the reference numerals 2 and 3 indicate a pair oftelescoping back sections. Cover members Q and 5 are secured to the backsections in any suitable manner. The back section 2 has a plurality ofsheet retaining posts 6 secured thereto in any conventional manner. Thesection 3 is provided with a flat bar I to which sheet retaining posts 8are secured. Although the posts 6 and 8 may be of any desired type, Iprefer to provide telescoping posts as ii lustrated in Figure 2.

The means for locking the binder sections comprises a tubular post 9secured to one back section 2, and a locking post iii secured to theother back section 3. The tubular post 5 is provided on its innersurface with opposed series of serrations or mutilated threads Ii. Thelocking post I0 is provided with opposed series of serrations or threadsl2 adapted to mesh with the serrations or threads of the tubular post.

The locking post it is provided with reduced neck portion it whichextends through an aperture in the flat bar 7. A washer I4 is positionedover the neck above the bar I, and the end of the neck 83 is spun downagainst the washer M, as indicated at i5, to swivel the locking post 9to the bar 1. A lever i6 is fixed to the locking post It! so thatrotation of the lever will rotate the looking post. The lever I6 isprovided with an upmanipulati'on of .iihe eleven :away, as indicated :atit, to provide convenient geccess to the :fiange iiiegmosition. I

"standing lip 101' gilange I :ad'ap'tedto facilitate the fiat bar 1 iscut I I when the lever 'is :in look- The rotation of the lever [6 ineach direction is limited by means of a stop member l9 (Figure 4).

The prefered form of stop member consists of a single projectiondepending from the underside of the flat bar 1. As shown in Figure 4,the lever 16 is provided with two extensions or shoulders 20, El adaptedto abut the stop member [9 when the lever 16 has been rotated apredetermined distance in either direction. The stop member l9 may bestruck from the bar 1, or may be formed separately and welded thereto.

The operation of the locking post is very simple. After the sheets 22have been impaled on the tubular post 9 and on the sheet retaining posts5, the

back section 3 is positioned with the posts 8 telescoping the posts 6and the locking post I 0 inside the post 9, and then the lever I6 ismoved to the position of Figure 5. The locking post is shaped like aflattened circle in cross section, and when the lever is in the positionof Figure 5 the major axis of this flattened circle lies between theserrations or threads i I on the inside of the tubular post 9. The twobinder sections are then engaged and are compressed to hold the sheetstightly. While the contents are compressed by the back sections thelever 16 is rotated to the locking position indicated in Figure 1. Inthis position the threads or serrations F2 are engaged with the threadsor serrations H so that the binder sections cannot be separated withoutfirst moving the lever l6 to the unlocked position illustrated in Figure5.

The binder may be provided with a transfer bar 23 having positioningpins 24 projecting from its upper surface and sheet aligning pins 25projecting from its lower surface. When the binder is to be used with atransfer bar, the bai 1 is apertured, as indicated at 26, Figure 2, toreceive the positioning pins 24.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention indetail, it will be understood that the description thereof isillustrative, rather than restrictive, as many details may be modifiedor changed without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.Accordingly, I

do not desire to be restricted to the exact construction described,except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a loose leaf binder, a cover member, a

projection on said bar engaging said extension to limit the rotation ofsaid post.

3. In a loose leaf binder, a cover member, a bar secured to saidcovermember, a locking post swiveled on said bar, a lever fixed to saidpost, a stop member projecting from said bar, and a pair of spacedshoulders on said lever adapted to engage said stop member to limit therotation of said post in either direction.

4. In a loose leaf binder, a cover member, a bar secured to said covermember, a locking post swiveled on said bar, a lever rigidly fixed tosaid locking post, said lever adapted to be swung in a plane parallel toand adjacent the plane of said bar to rotate said locking post, a lip onsaid lever to facilitate manipulation thereof, and means to prevent saidlip from contacting said bar.

5. In a loose leaf binder, a cover member, a bar secured to said covermember, a locking post swiveled on said bar, said locking post beingnoncircular in cross section and having transverse serrations along twodiametrically opposed edges, means secured to said locking post, andmeans on said bar adapted to cooperate with said first mentioned meansto prevent the rotation of said locking post in either direction beyondpredetermined limits.

6'. In a loose leaf binder, a cover member, a bar secured to said covermember, a locking post rotatably secured to said bar, said locking postbeing shaped to approximate a flattened circle in cross section andhaving transverse serrations along the edges at opposite ends of themajor axis of the flattened circle, a lever rigidly fixed to saidlocking post, means on said lever to facilitate rotation of said post,and means projecting from said bar to cooperate with said lever to limitthe rotation of said locking post in either direction.

GEORGE H. DAWSON.

